Directories and citations
Find the firm. Trust the details.
A useful listing gives a reader the right firm, the right place and a working way to get in touch. Build around those facts, then review each publisher’s rules and audience.
Book a FREE Strategy CallThe same facts. Wherever they look.
Explore the directory typesBe identifiable. Be reachable.
A citation is a reference to a firm’s name, address or phone number on another site. Accurate information helps people identify and contact the firm. Google also considers information from across the web when assessing prominence in map results; that does not establish a fixed ranking value for each listing.
A directory can also be a place where someone compares attorneys directly. Check the profile’s audience, practice information and contact route. A listing’s existence alone does not establish referral traffic or inquiries.
We treat accurate public information and measurable directory inquiries as related, separate jobs within the wider Google Maps and local SEO work.
Different records. Different rules.
Choose a type to see what needs checking.
These are sources to assess for your attorneys and offices, rather than a ranking-weight order. Eligibility, claiming, available fields and paid options depend on the publisher. Start with the records people need to trust and contact the firm.
9 sources shown
- Public profile
Avvo
Check the attorney’s existing profile and the publisher’s current claiming and editing options. Keep qualifications and practice information factual; a rating is a platform assessment, not a promised outcome.
Publisher guidance - Public profile
FindLaw
Assess the directory profile, its relevant audience and the available contact route. Confirm current listing terms and any quoted cost before choosing a product.
Publisher guidance - Public profile
Justia
Justia offers complete free profiles for U.S. attorneys. Its claiming process requires the attorney’s identity and personal firm email; authorized management must follow its procedures.
Publisher guidance - Public profile
Martindale-Hubbell
Keep biography, practice and contact information accurate. Peer reviews and client reviews are different records, and any use of ratings needs the attorney’s advertising-rule review.
Publisher guidance - Earned recognition
Super Lawyers
Selection follows the publisher’s nomination, research and peer-evaluation process. We do not promise selection. Verify the actual selection, year, description and permitted use before publicizing it.
Publisher guidance - Public profile
Lawyers.com
Review the consumer-facing profile and how someone can contact the attorney. Confirm the current publisher, account access and listing terms rather than assuming one login controls every related site.
Publisher guidance - Professional record
State bar listing
Check the attorney’s actual licensed name, admission details and current status against the relevant official state record. Follow the bar’s process for correcting its public information.
- Professional record
Local bar association
Confirm genuine membership and the association’s directory criteria. Membership is distinct from a state license and should be described accurately.
- Earned recognition
Best Lawyers
The publisher uses a peer-review methodology. Verify the recognition, edition, geography and practice area, then check its publicity guidelines and applicable advertising rules.
Publisher guidance
Meet people where they look.
Assess general business listings such as Apple Maps, Bing Places, Yelp, the BBB, your actual chamber and relevant established business directories. Check current eligibility and features rather than purchasing a bundle for its raw listing count.
People may look for the firm directly on a map or business platform. Confirm the office, contact route and current information there. Do not assume every legal directory or general listing delivers the same audience or a guaranteed Google ranking benefit.
Fix the facts that can misdirect someone.
Use the true firm name, actual office address and working contact number. On your Business Profile, follow Google’s representation and eligibility rules. Other publishers may normalize punctuation, abbreviations and phone formatting; a harmless format difference is not the same as an incorrect office or disconnected number.
Document genuine differences, such as an individual attorney’s licensed name or multiple real offices. Prioritize information that could misdirect a reader. NAP consistency explains the record and correction workflow.
A listing is a source. Trace what follows.
Report observed listings, correction status and available directory referral activity. Where source data and the firm’s intake records allow it, connect inquiries to consultations and signed cases, with missing attribution disclosed. Reporting to signed cases explains those limits.
Assess a paid upgrade against its actual cost, available inquiry quality and an agreed evaluation window. A new placement without enough outcome data remains a test, rather than a confirmed return on the spend.
Directory reviews have their own platform rules. Coordinate reviews outside Google with voluntary requests, confidentiality and the designated attorney’s review; do not assume Google’s solicitation policy applies to every publisher.
Profile eligibility and representation are checked against Google’s Business Profile guidelines. Review requests are checked against Google’s content policy.
An accountable listing program.
Citation audit
A dated inventory of relevant profiles, real offices, eligibility, account access and inaccurate information.
Field-by-field cleanup
Prioritized corrections against approved business facts. Submitted changes and visibly published changes are recorded separately.
New listings
Proposed profiles where appropriate and eligible, with the firm’s authorization and each publisher’s claiming requirements.
Re-audit at each quarterly review
A quarterly review in the proposed program, with office moves and changed contact details flagged when the firm reports them.
Monthly reporting
Observed listing status and available referral or inquiry data, with consultations linked only where intake attribution permits.
Before you make the plan.
Are paid directory listings worth it?
Sometimes. Compare current terms, total cost, relevant inquiries and an agreed evaluation period. A directory’s audience claim or placement alone does not prove consultations or return on spend.
Do citations still matter?
Accurate public information helps people identify and contact the firm. Relevant directories may also generate inquiries. There is no universal listing count or guaranteed ranking gain.
Should each attorney have a directory profile?
Assess individual attorney profiles where the publisher supports them. Use the attorney’s actual licensed name, qualifications, practice and relevant offices; those details need not be identical to a separate firm listing.
Who owns the directory profiles?
The publisher hosts and governs the profile. We arrange authorized firm or attorney access where claiming is available, and retain a record of access and delegated management. We do not promise ownership of a publisher’s platform.
The next useful question.
See how this work connects to the rest of your plan.
Start with your firm
Do your listings tell the same story?
Bring your firm’s approved business details. We’ll look at the listings that matter and where readers encounter missing or conflicting information.
Book a FREE Strategy Call